Thursday, September 29, 2005

See More Seymour

As in Philip Seymour Hoffman, who will portray author and scamp Truman Capote in the biopic cleverly titled, "Capote."

Based on Gerald Clarke's biography, the film depicts Capote as a man torn between devotion to his lifelong companion Jack Dunphy (Bruce Greenwood), perverse love for the killer Smith and a desire to see the two murderers executed so he would have a suitable ending for his book.

Hoffman plays Capote as friend, accessory, artist, manipulator, liar, cheat and sympathizer. After the killers were put to death, "In Cold Blood" was published to great acclaim in 1966, followed a year later by a film version featuring Robert Blake as Perry Smith.

The strain of Capote's research left him broken, a heavy drinker and pill popper whose writing became sporadic and uninspired. Though he published an acclaimed collection of stories a few years before his death in 1984, Capote generally played the intellectual buffoon in his final two decades.

Hoffman is a BaT favorite, particularly for his role as the drag queen in "Flawless," where he mops the floor with Robert De Niro. I hope the film lives up to the life that was Capote's. I'm certain if it doesn't, it won't be because of the lead actor.

P.S. Capote was the author of ... ta-da ... "Breakfast at Tiffany's."


Get awesome blog templates like this one from BlogSkins.com